Improvement in the manufacture of oxygen gas



Nrrni) it Tarts SIGNOR TO JOHN H. PORTER AND JAMES WEBSTER, OF BIRMINGHAM, COUNTY OF \VAR'WICK, ENGLAND, AS

ROBERT PORTER, OF SAME PLACE.

EMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OXYGEN GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,7d 2*, dated June 24, 18(12.

' and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of my said invention-that is to say:

This invention consists in a mode of treating amixture of nitrate of soda or. other nitrate with an oxide of iron orburnt oxide of zinc,

' for the purpose of obtaining oxygen gas to nitrogenous compounds and the base of the salt employed. (For this purpose I submit the mixture to distillationin an iron or other proper retort. I condense the nitrogenous compounds contained in the gaseous products of the distillation in water or in any other convenient manner, and then separate those compounds from the residue of the gaseous products, consisting, chiefly, of oxygen gas, which I collect in a proper receiver. The residuum in the retort at the end of the process contains the base of the salt, to employ which.'if it be an alkali or alkaline earth, will be in a caustic state. I perform and carry out my invention as follows: I take one part of the nitrate of soda and two parts of the sesquioxide of iron or burnt oxide of zinc and mix them well together. I throw the mixture into a red-hot retort, the lid of which is then luted in its place and the heat kept up. The gas generated is conveyed by a pipe into. a condenser, where it is passed through water to extract the nitrous-gas, and through another similar condenser for the like purpose, and thence to a chamber which contains a number of perforated traps, on which is placed spent material from the generator after having been moistened with water or steam. This acts as apurifier and removes all nitrogen gas that may be with the oxygen. The gas then passes into the gasometer. After the gas is all given cit from a change of mate rial in the generator, the spent material is removed, and-after moistening it with steam or water it is placed upon trays in the purifier, and after a few charges of gas have passed through it it is removed to another chamber fitted with trays, having an opening near the bottom for a draft-hole, where it is exposed to fumes, in preference from metallioiron nitric acid placed on a vessel at the bottom of the chamber. In a short time, when the acid ceases to'act, it is withdrawn, the process forming binoxide of nitrogen, which instantly takes up oxygen from the atmosphere and converts the which process is aided by a draft being-formed by connection with a flue or by other means. I also utilize the residue from the manufacture of the gas by throwing the said spent material from the generator while hot into water and crystallizing the undecomposed nitrate of soda the remaining. liquor containing caustic soda may be further boiled down to hydrate of soda for soap-boilers and others. The oxide of iron or burnt oxide of zinc will precipitate andmay be used again with other nitrates for the manufacture of gas. In this case the nitrogenous acid is not required, and may be sold or used may have the acid from the first condenser, (with perhaps a little nitric acid added,) when more nitrate of soda may be crystallized from it; but I prefer exposing the spent material from the gas to a draft in a chamber with trays, as I before stated, or to inahe'the causticsoda solution forsale and retain the nitrate of soda and the oxide of iron or burnt oxide of zinc for generating gas.

I claim- Conunissionem'n Chancery, Consular Age-n1, United States of America.

FREDERICK J OHN CONXEL'L.

soda in the trays into nitrate or nitrite of soda, 1

(and perhaps some nitrite of soda)'from it, and

for other purposes; or the caustic-soda solution The obtaining the oxygen nitrogenous com- 7 

